Camp 12. Dull morning, rather cloudy. Patients much improved. The female camel left behind yesterday has not made her appearance yet, still I have little doubt but that she will follow. Not a breath of wind at sunrise. Started at 8.17 a.m. Still on general course bearing of 95 1/2 degrees over open-timbered, well-grassed land. Afterwards at 10.11 came to and crossed same river from north-north-east to south-south-west. It was not far off all the morning to the right. Spelled seven minutes till 10.18. At 10.36 recrossed river where it is stony and rocky with sand in its bed, coming from south. At 11.3 struck river on right but did not cross. Followed along its north-east bank till 11.15. Still close by at 11.27. At 12.50 crossed small sandy creek from south. Spelled for six minutes till 12.56. Then bearing along the creek till 1.11 p.m. on bearing of 325 degrees three-quarters of a mile; distance on proper course 95 1/2 degrees thirteen and a quarter miles. Just after camping I found that what I take to be the River Binoe is about 120 yards east of us, flowing about 322 degrees, with a lagoon on east bank, with yellow lilies. The small creek we are camped on has plenty of water. The Binoe River has none just here. All the creeks and the river have lots of cork-screw palms in and near them. Good forest all day and abundance of grass.
Saturday, June 7.
Camp 13. But little dew last night. The old camel has not come on; perhaps she will remain until she freshens up a little and then shape her way south or east. No wind, beautiful morning. Hodgkinson shot a native companion; have seen no game for some days. Started at 8.40 on bearing of 110 degrees. In four minutes crossed the Binoe. At 9.8 came to and recrossed river or creek Binoe. At 9.45 crossed creek with rocky bed and with water from east by south. Spelled five minutes till 9.50. Quartz ridges. At twelve o'clock spurs running to south and west. At 1.40 from top of hill dismal view seen ahead; nothing but bare burnt up ranges. Struck the River Flinders or one of its largest branches at 2.18 p.m. Crossed over and camped at a long sheet of water in its bed on south-eastern side. Distance on course sixteen and three-quarter miles. The journey today has been over thick scrubby forest which tore our pack-bags a good deal. From 9 a.m. the ground was a good deal strewed over with small ironstone pebbles, not bronzed as they usually are, till 9.45 then ridges and ranges of quartz and sandstone. Drainage south and west. A high range on the left, some 6 to eight miles off, wooded to its top. Immediately below it runs the Binoe I think. Course of the range is about 100 degrees. This watercourse comes here from the north-north-east or even north of that, and bears away to the south-south-west as far as discernible. Wind during the day from east to south-east. As this is a good place for killing I will kill our last bullock as he has become a nuisance in driving the horses by rushing among them on the march and out through them in front and on all sides, causing them to travel in an unsteady manner and assisting to further tear the bags. All the patients getting on well. Natives burning down this creek or river some little distance and ahead and a little to the left of our course today, the first we have seen for a few days. I omitted to mention a couple of days ago falling in with a number of frameworks about six feet long by four wide and three high, risen by four forks placed on the ground, then side pieces, and the top covered with similar pieces closely all over lengthways, and on top of that grass; then fires at head, feet and both sides. I should say to sleep on during wet weather. Killed our bullock but little fat on him, but he is not of a fat kind.
Sunday, June 8.
Camp 14. Wind from east and north of east in the morning. Cutting up and drying the beef; the fat drying won't detain us. A great abundance of the River McKenzie bean here on the sandy parts of the watercourse. Here the watercourse is about 100 yards broad, in many places bergues of sand separating it into different channels. Wild dogs abundant. Saw traces of kangaroo, emu, and wallaby on our way here yesterday. Wind changed during the afternoon to south-east and south-south-east. This sheet of water is from 250 to 300 yards long and twenty yards broad. Kirby much better and the others getting quite convalescent.
Monday, June 9.
In Camp 14. Drying the beef, shoeing, mending pack-bags, and various other little things etc. No dew last night. Still morning. Most beautiful weather. What little wind there is is from south by west but hardly perceptible. I took Middleton with me to go out to reconnoitre and feel our way for next stage through the hills ahead. Found that the watercourse comes from north or a little west of north from between the heavy-timbered ranges to north and west, and bald hills, or nearly so, to north and east, and probably winds round nearer its source more to the east. A number of thinly-wooded hills with small creeks running from them to west and south appear to run round south for some distance, perhaps ten to fifteen miles or more. Beyond the highest in the distance the natives are busy burning, and this leads me to suppose they are on the other or principal branch of the Flinders River; but I shall know more about it in a few days. Abundance of water in the small creeks as far east and south as I went today and some lagoons in the flats. The natives commence their range of fires from 20 degrees west of south to 30 degrees east of south, and I think I shall find that it will meet me on my course. Wind in the afternoon from south by east, strong occasionally, towards evening it died away. Beef now dry. We start from here tomorrow if all is right and we have nothing more to detain us. The horses are shod except one and that one, one of the best, no shoes being large enough. I hope he will be able to get along. Our food now consists of about 230 pounds of dry and salt beef, everything else in the shape of food gone but I think we will have sufficient to carry us into the settled districts of Queensland on the Burdekin River where we will be able to get a fresh supply. We have a little salt and amongst the lot about half a pound of soap.
Wednesday, June 11.
Camp 14. The bed of this branch here is one mass of concrete and conglomerate, with small and large masses of ironstone, just as if it had lately escaped from a furnace, with pebbles and pieces of quartz, some sandstone, and sandstone in which is a mass of quartz. In many other places it is quite a bed of sand its full width, and in other places separated into different branches by bergues of alluvial deposit and sand, with trees of different kinds and shrubs and reeds upon them. There is a table-topped hill down on or near the north-west bank a few miles, lightly wooded from north-north-east to south-west and apparently stony. Not a breath of wind at daylight; afterwards in forenoon from east-south-east. Started at 8.30 a.m. on bearing of 110 degrees, for first few miles through open forest intersected with small creeks flowing to west and south, some containing water with lagoons on the flat occasionally, the drainage of the ranges to the eastward and north of our course. The spurs coming down close on our left stony but well-grassed and very lightly timbered, in fact nearly bald ridges. Over first stony ridge at 10.10 and considerable-sized double creek at 10.17, dry at crossing. Top of next high range at 11.15; five and a quarter miles. Very extensive view. Spelled on top of hill waiting for the camels for forty-five minutes till noon. Then started on bearing of 127 1/2 degrees for south-west end of large range in the distance that would otherwise come right across my original course. There is an immense large black circular range from 127 1/2 degrees round by east to west-north-west, with reaphooky faces and scrubby tops, and a number of detached conical and coronet-topped hills. At 1 p.m. water in a rocky creek close to the right. Watered the horses. Spelled ten minutes till 1.10. Crossed creek at 1.15. Sandy, scrubby forest. Crossed another sandy creek at 1.57. Crossed another sandy creek at 2.3. At 3.15 on top of rocky mulga hill with granite and mass of quartz pebbles. Some difficulty in getting over and down a rocky range (granite principally). Struck a small creek with sufficient water for our use and good feed, and camped at 3.50 at distance of ten and three-quarters to eleven miles on last bearing. Distance travelled about sixteen miles. Course of the ranges close by, the one that we last crossed and the one just close by before us, 40 degrees west of south with the drainage in same direction.
Thursday, June 12.